City Island via the Hudson River
(Inwood Park, and the Mosholu/Bronx River/Pelham Parkway Bike Trails)

City Island is an
anomaly.
Cross the bridge that spans Eastchester and Pelham Bay and you know
with
every sense you possess that you are on an island in the Long Island
Sound.
Looking closely, you may even be able to discern Execution Light to the
northeast and Stepping Stones Lighthouse to the south. But listen to the
voices and the intonations, or smell the aromas wafting from the nearby
seafood

restaurants that are everywhere,
and you are still clearly and
emphatically in New York City -- the restaurant capital of the
world.

Originally the home of
Siwanoy Indians,
City Island was first established as an English settlement in 1685.
It's
location insured it's success and it became an important ship building
and yachting center during the 18th and 19th centuries.

In 1896, tired of life in the
'burbs, the
good folk of City Island voted to succeed from Westchester County
and to become part of New York City.

During the world wars, the local
commerce
shifted from yacht building to the construction of submarine chasers,
P.
T. Boats, landing crafts, tugs, and mine sweepers.

After World War II, yachting and
sloop
building returned to the island, and many successful America's Cup
winners,
like the Independence, the Enterprise, and the Courageous were built
locally.
The area is rich in nautical lore and to learn more you can visit
the City Island Museum at 190 Fordham Street, Sundays and Wednesday,1
to
5 PM, and by appointment: 718-885-0008.

But probably the coolest thing
about City
Island is you can get there by a bike trail that starts along the
Hudson River. The entire trip is 97% traffic free and you can end
it with a monstrous seafood dinner, and a relaxing subway ride back. Of
course, if you are really pumped, you can skip the train and peddle the
return trip and make it a 50 mile day. But I am getting ahead of
myself . . .

Pretty much head north anywhere
on
the
west side bike trail. The bike trail is more or less intact and
runs
from the battery to the G.W. bridge area. True, there are a few
places
where it bottlenecks down to a single-lane, dirt ditch, but for the
most
part the west side Manhattan bike trail is 98% complete, auto free, and
a joy to ride.

The first problem area is right
above the
79th Street Boat basin. There is a sign which describes the
terrain
as dangerous and tells bicyclist to detour around. But
truthfully,
while the area is very
narrow, with some pretty good sized holes and buckled cement layers, it
is negotiable, especially during daylight hours, if you go slow and
don't
mind an occasional walk where
it bogs down. As your watch the traffic flow, it becomes pretty

obvious that about
60% of bicyclists
followed the detour, while the other 40% ignored it, carrying over the
small stone barrier and
sticking
to the trail. I suspect the sign is there for liability reasons
--
also, because the path is so
narrow, it is simply easier to separate walkers and bikers. I suppose a
third choice is to carry over the barrier and simply walk the bike, as
the whole problem area is only about 4/10's of a mile. The detour
itself is really not that bad and actually takes you through a lovely
section
of Riverside Park. But typical of detours, the sign for the
detour
tells you where the detour begins but nowhere does it point the way
back
to the bike trail, so I've
heard a few complaints from people being unable to rejoin the trail.
The
trick is simple. As soon as you take the detour, right after the hill
up
into the park, stay completely on your left and take the first
turn
that looks like it is headed back to the water.

The next problem
area is the
massive North River sewage treatment complex and park. The bike
path
appears to end here, but is actually just cut in half and continues on
the opposite side of the park. This was initially pretty
confusing,
but since I've put up these pages there has already been several
improvements.
If you note the map below, you will see two separate routes. Currently,
the way around this very necessary and life improving
facility/behemoth,
is to, immediately after the bike path ends, continue on through the
parking
lots and hang a right on 133rd Street, immediately after the
Fairview
24 hour supermarket, followed by a quick left on Twelfth Avenue, and
then
another left at 135th Street and take the D.E.P. access road
under
the park. Previously, however, there were problems with this
road,
and the D.E.P. controlled property was off limits -- unless you had a
special
visitor's path. I have heard conflicting stories ranging from the
road being closed because of liability issues to ego conflicts between
the city and state agency controlling the area. Whatever the reason,
the
conflict seems to have been resolved and the access road is now open to
the public.

However, if for any reason the
road is
closed, the alternative route is described below the map. Also,
please
note that the "official" route takes you on to 12th Avenue immediately
after the bike path appears to end. I dislike that route because
it puts you on 12th Avenue for a longer
time in a spot where the traffic is particularly bad. My route
takes
you through the parking
lots,
skipping most of 12th Avenue, and past the Fairview market where I
generally
stop for a snack.

If
the access road is closed:
Make the right on 133rd Street, the left onto Twelfth Avenue, but
instead
of making the right turn on 136 Street, note the macadam path on the
sidewalk
(see map) and walk your bike over the curb. The path spirals up to the
street above and will bring you out one block north of the entrance to
the park. Cross over into the park, but don't head towards the
water.
Instead, hug the land-side edge of the park and head north. Keep going
until you run out of park. Around the carrousel, to your
right,
is the elevator tower that will take you back down to ground level and
the bike trail. If the elevator is not working, the stairs will take
you
down, albeit in a more grunting and sweating style.

Back on the Bike TrailOnce back on the bike trail, after
the
North River park complex, you will pass the volley ball courts on your
right. Immediately after the courts, the road splits and
the
fork you are on continues straight, taking you into a baseball field --
do not go this way. You must make the sharp right at the split,
which
doglegs past a huge broken and overgrown gate before swinging left and
continuing north. From here it is smooth riding to the
Little
Red Lighthouse.

Just before the bridge, the
path
splits and the left fork takes you towards the lighthouse while the
right
continues north. Throw your bike into your lowest gear and get ready
for
a climb. As you pass under the G.W. bridge the road swings up and
to the right and then up and to the left in a kind of rounded
switchback
fashion -- see map below.

When you reach the
top, get
on the sidewalk and continue north towards the footbridge. The bike
path
runs directly into the foot bridge -- but do not take the bridge.
Instead, slightly to the right of the bridge's base, the trail swings
around
and continues north. This section of the trail is little known
and
obviously very little used, and while it is a bit rough, it is one of
those
secret sweet spots of New York. When the trail ends a mile and a
half later, on top of a small bridge, take the stairs on your left down
and around and under the bridge, continuing north to the intersection.
Crossing over, take Staff Street (a very hard left and not to be
confused with the entrance to Riverside Drive) north to where it
intersects
with Dyckman Street, which you follow towards the river.

At the
entrance
of Inwood Park -- on your right side -- you will notice a golden gate:
this is the start of the next section of trail. Peddle forward,
bearing
right until you come to a footbridge that takes you over the railroad
tracks.
Prior to the bridge, you will pass a turn off to the left, which takes
you towards the water's edge and several spectacular views of the
Hudson
River, the Palisades, and the old railroad swing bridge.

So, after all your scenic
detours, and
after crossing the railroad footbridge, you will find yourself on
a rather surprising, but negotiable section of trail -- that is if you
continually keep to your left. This section of Inwood park
is a very pleasant maze of hiking and mountain biking trails, and while
I have personally ridden all of them with my really heavy, self-built
touring
bike, I think I could loose several readers if I

recommended the other
trails to rider's without mountain bikes or mountain biking
experience.

So, please, keep to the left by
keeping
the water to your left. You will know you are on the correct course if,
after about ten minutes -- baring digressions -- you pass under the
Henry
Hudson bridge. After that it's all down hill -- well, literally
speaking,
but certainly not figuratively -- as the best, as they say, is really
still
to come. If you haven't worn out your breaks on the
decenscion,
please try to stop at the display at the base of the hill. This is
Shorakkopoch
-- a marker for the home of the Reckgawawanc Indians and
supposedly
the site where Peter Minuet, in 1626, purchased Manhattan island for
trinkets
and beads then worth about 60 guilders.

If your follow the water around
you will
soon be looking across to the giant C painted on the cliff wall via the
Columbia rowing team. To your right you will note said rowing team's
boathouse
-- a favorite spot for all who have paddled around the island.

Follow the water around and out
of the
park, exiting on 218th Street. Take 218th street 4 block and take
a left on Broadway. Visible ahead is the Broadway bridge which
crosses
the Harlem River. Cross the bridge and continue north, taking a
right
on 230th Street. The 5 blocks on Broadway are very short, but the
traffic here is frantic, so be careful. One block after 230th
Street
crosses the Major Degan Expressway, we make a fast dogleg, one block
north
and then a right on Albany Street, following that to the left on
Kingsbridge
Avenue.

Follow Kingsbridge
until it
runs into Sedgwick and another left. From here you can either
follow
Sedgwick around the top of the reservoir, or even more pleasant
is
to take a hard right on Giles street into Fort Independence Playground,
which follows the water around the tip of the reservoir and avoids the
busses on Sedgwick. Either method brings you to where Sedgwick
has
just rounded the top of the reservoir. At this point, get on, or
stay on, the sidewalk that parallels Sedgwick and continue
straight.
In the distance you'll notice a highway running perpendicular to
Sedgwick
and a park set beyond the highway -- head for it. At the
intersection
of Sedgwick and Moshulu Parkway, cross over to the narrow park
bordering
the highway and make a hard right. This is the Moshulu section of
the trip and it's mostly a macadam bikeway-pedestrian walkway, with a
few
sections of concrete sidewalk towards the end.

Don't
get confused by the
physical structure.
The Moshulu section only runs about a mile before running into a
short section of concrete sidewalk, which leads directly to the more
traditional
"macadam" bike path of Bronx Park. Remember, the bike path is
continuous,
but was engineered around the preexisting infrastructures of Moshulu,
Bronx
River, and Pelham Park and Parkway, and as such, there can be some
small
areas of confusion as you segway between the sections.

That said, follow the macadam bike
path
of Moshulu through the concrete sidwalk section at it's end.
Immeadately
after the concrete section, the path makes a hard left onto the more
traditional
madadam of the Bronx Park section. Follow the path until you get
to a very distinct "Y" intersection. Take the left fork and
follow
it through a slow, easy "S" turn which takes you to a small stone
bridge that crosses the Bronx River. Do not take the sharp right
immediately after crossing the river. Instead, proceed through
the
underpass, which takes you under the highway. After the
underpass,
the road splits. Take the right hand fork and continue until you come
to
a trifurcation. At the junction, take the middle path. Continue
along
until the bikepath is cut in half by Theodorde Kazimiroff Boulevard.
This
is a nasty crossing as cars are coming from multiple directions via
both
an entrance and exit ramp that are merging with normal street traffic
--
so be careful. As soon as you cross, you will note the pathway
continues
on the other side with another bifurcation. Take the right turn
at
this one and at the next one. About 6/10 of a mile later,
soon
after passing a small ball field on your left hand side, the trail
curves
around to the left and out of the park. As you exit the
park,
you will be in the turn of an intersection between Bronx Park East
&
Pelham Parkway North. As you ride forward, you will note a
greenway
between the street, Pelham Parkway North, and the highway, The Bronx
and
Pelham Parkway. This greenway is the next section of trail and
will
take you all the way to the two bridges that cross onto City Isle.

As you've been riding, you've
undoubtedly
have noticed the bright yellow, spray-painted messages and huge
"C"
symbols on the roadway. These yellow markings are from past
Centineal
rides. Many of them are going in our direction, but not all of
them
do. So use them as confirmation of direction, but not for changes
in direction

The Pelham
Parkway biketrail
is divided into sections by a few crossing city streets. The
sections
are short at first but get longer as you go along. The first
section
is a little more then a block before it crosses the old Boston Post
Road/Route
1. The path continues right across the street, but it is a little
hard to see as it is a little left of where you'd expect it to be, and
in fact continues diagonally left before curving back in a right
diagonal
direction. The next intersection is Pelham and White Plains
Road, where you can catch the IND # 2 on the far left corner.
After
this intersection, you will pretty much breeze through the next couple
of crossings as they are so easily negotiated I haven't bother listing
them on the map, least the plethora of details confuse rather then
clarify.
Approximately 1.6 miles from the beginning of the Pelham section is the
Stillwell Avenue crossing. Stillwell Avenue looks like all the
other
crossings and you will be tempted to cross there, be careful: the bike
trail does continue on the other side -- but it is the wrong
trail.
At Stillwell, you must make a right and cross the highway, rather then
continuing straight and crossing the smaller access road. After
that,
you are home free.

Once across the highway the bike
path
continues to the left. As you go, there are a few small turn-offs
to the right. Skip these and continue to follow the trail in the
general direction you've been traveling -- east! As you get closer to the last turn
off,
you will start to notice another park, to your right, on the other side
of the highway. When you pass by the 30 foot monument on your right (in
the park on the other side of the highway), you will notice a
huge
grass hill straight ahead. These are your landmarks. When you
come
to the next intersection, cross the highway to your right, and take the
left on the biketrail. (Taking the right on the bike trail will
take
you to the footbridge and the IRT # 6 subway.) Continue on and a
few minutes later you will cross the first bridge. Just stay on
the
trail and follow the signs and in 20 minutes you will be pondering the
massive amount of choices you have for a seafood dinner.

Returning is easy. Get back
on the
bike trail and follow it in the reverse direction. Shortly
after you re-cross the second bridge (from our returning perspective),
continue straight rather then re-crossing the highway. Five
minutes
later you will see a massive concrete footbridge that takes you across
the high way to the IND # 6 train. Enjoy your ride back.

If you are considering doing the
whole
50 miler round-trip, please give yourself adequate daylight time, as
Bronx
Park, the crossover at Inwood Park, and the section between Inwood and
the GW Bridge become dangerously dark for riding. It's rideable,
but you'll wonder about your common sense at a few spots in the return
adventure.